In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
“Who was it that touched me?” says the Lord. Many had come to be near him, to hear him and to see the miracles they had heard about. “Who was it that touched me?” and the disciples do not understand: “Master, the multitudes surround you and press upon you!” says Peter. But the Lord persists, “Some one touched me; for I perceive that power has gone forth from me.” He was not asking who touched him physically, many in the crowd had done that, but who touched him with Faith, who touched him with longing, who touched him not as a mere man but the incarnate Lord.
Jairus, we may presume, was a good man according to the Law of Moses, an upright man, a man who commanded respect among the Jews. He had heard the stories of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee—that he had healed the Centurion’s servant by merely a command (Luke 7:1–10) in this same city, yet Jairus did not come to the Lord. He had heard that the Lord had travelled to Nain and raised the son of a widow (7:11–17), yet Jairus did not come to the Lord. He had heard the report of Jesus forgiving the sins of the sinful woman in Simon the Pharisee’s house (7:36–50), yet Jairus did not come to the Lord. Now Jairus, however, becomes desperate—his daughter is not getting better, in fact her illness is dragging her down to the point of death, and is finally willing to risk losing his place in society, his honour, his pre-eminence among his own people, and go to Jesus.
Yet still he lacks faith. Despite what he has heard of the Lord’s miracles and teachings in Galilee he does not know what to do. He lacks the faith of the gentile centurion, who asks the Lord to command that his servant be healed, and he does not risk bringing his daughter out of the house to come before Christ. He does not know what to do yet he must do something.
And I do the same. I want the Lord to act in my life but I dither and prevaricate—despite knowing it is what I should do. And when I do finally come to the Lord I do so half-heartedly, embarrassed both at my hesitation and that I am not self-reliant.
The Lord in his love for Jairus still accepts him, and he accepts me. But Jairus may be brought to greater Faith, deeper Faith, in the Lord so another event takes place. “Who was it that touched me?” says the Lord. And Jairus is both worried by the delay and scandalised by the one who has touched Christ: he had been touched by someone ritually unclean. He had heard of her and seen her in Capernaum: someone to pity but not get involved with, certainly not for a ruler of the synagogue. Yet the Lord has compassion on her and holds her up as an example of Faithfulness to which Jairus was called.
And the Lord so acts for me. He might not do what I have asked him but gives a sign of his power. He acts for my repentance, for my own conversion to him, that I may change and not come to him as a last resort but as my first response.
The report of the daughter’s death did not stop Christ. Jairus and his household still lacked faith, still did not understand Christ, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” Yet when we pray for what leads to repentance and salvation the Lord is not prevented from acting, “Do not fear; only believe, and she shall be well.” And, in the secret of the house, with only three disciples and the parents present, the Lord answers the prayer.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us turn immediately to the Lord when struggles arise and we are at a loss: and he will answer according to our needs for his Kingdom. The Lord may turn us to another task first, one which may scandalise us and we believe is below our dignity, but he will lead us to salvation. For the Lord has shown himself to have power even over death, that “All authority has been given to [him] in heaven and on earth,” (Matthew 28:18) that if we follow him with his Cross, bearing our own, we may journey with him through death to Life.
To our crucified and risen God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who has given us a path to the Kingdom, be all glory, honour and might, together with his unoriginate Father and the All-holy, Good and Life-giving Spirit. Amen.
Brethren, knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
— Galatians 2:16–20
At that time, there came to Jesus a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue; and falling at Jesus’ feet he besought him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As he went, the people pressed round him. And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years and had spent all her living upon physicians and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter and those who were with him said, “Master, the multitudes surround you and press upon you!” But Jesus said, “Some one touched me; for I perceive that power has gone forth from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” While he was still speaking, a man from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she shall be well.” And when he came to the house, he permitted no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and bewailing her; but he said, “Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once; and he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed; but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.
— Luke 8:41–56